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boon
Posts: 3
| Hello all. Next month, I am attending NBHA World Championships, and this will be my longest haul yet so I just wanted some input/advance. My total haul will be about 16 hours. What is your advice on hauling long distances for your horse? |
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 Bulls Eye
Posts: 6443
  
Location: Oklahoma | I keep bermuda hay in front of mine all the time. I offer water every time I stop to fill up. I DO NOT get mine out the of the trailer. I will instead leave the truck off for about 30 minutes so they don't feel the vibrations. I do not feed grain while on the trailer. I will offer them a bran mash with mineral oil the night before we go and also again when we get there. |
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 The Worst Seller Ever
Posts: 4138
Location: Oklahoma | Stop and rest the horses, even if you don't pull them out and walk, at least stop the trailer and let them rest. Offer water and hay at that time. I like to wrap legs, but its not a necessity. Make sure you give yourself enough time to get where your going, especially if there are problems (traffic, tires, construction). You want them to be able to rest before you run them. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1182
Location: Do I hear Banjos? | For long hauls I always stop every 4-5 hours and if I don't feel safe getting them unloaded I will at least let them rest 15-30 minutes. They have hay in front of them but at the stop they each get a sloppy wet mash of soaked beet pulp with a little handful of their grain mixed. That helps keep them hydrated.
I have done it this way for years with great results. Both for barrel racers as well as competitive distance horses.
One other thought. Some horses will urinate in the trailer. Others will not. If they are a horse that will not urinate while in the trailer...those horses really need to be unloaded during a stop on a long trip if at all possible to let them do so. I bedd the trailer with thick shavings and they all wear a fly mask too. Just things i do because of problems I've seen. |
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 Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
| On a 24 haul, I try to get them out once at a fairgrounds so I can clean the trailer out a bit and let them chill. Over than that, they're on the trailer from beginning to end.
I'll always make big hauls on Ulcergard, and provide hay. Always see if they want water at every fuel stop. Stop a little longer at gas station and let yourself stretch and horses rest.
Get there a day early if possible to rest
I always bed the trailer at least a foot deep in shavings for cushion and waste absorption.
Take a full list of goodies with you; romp, ace, chlorpromazine, bute, banamine, dex, linament, pillow wraps, polo wraps, antibacterial salve, syringes, needles, etc. A lot can go haywire on the road. Bring everything!
Make sure you have all of your tire tools ready to change a flat. All. Of. Them. And check all tire pressures and wear patterns before you leave. Always completely service pulling rig. Do a full walk around and check your truck and trailer every stop. If necessary, stock pile your high def exhaust fluid so you have enough for the entire trip. It can be a scarce commodity out in the boondocks. |
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